Critical valleys in drought and key issues
Climate overview
At the end of 2019 we had seen up to three years of drought across the entire state - worse than the 1940s drought or the Millennium drought in many areas. Since February 2020 there has been improvement in conditions, with around 35% of the state is drought affected in early September 2020, compared to 100% in early January 2020.
In 2019 conditions were drier and hotter than any other NSW drought in the last 120 years. From January 2017 to December 2019, rainfall was the lowest on record. The 2017, 2018 and 2019 calendar years were the warmest on record. Despite some rain in the first months of 2020, major rural NSW water storages are approximately 48.5% of capacity (31 August 2020) on average.
There has been a de-escalation of drought stages in all valleys with the central west and south-west valleys now in normal operations, although the north-west and far west valleys are still either rated as in severe drought or recovering from drought.
Northern basin overview
Inflows to each of the major northern inland NSW regulated rivers were the lowest on record in 2019. Northern inland NSW has experienced many two-year periods of sustained low inflows. 2019 saw an unprecedented third year of drought, with drought continuing to affect most of the state in the first half of 2020.
Major storages in all the northern inland NSW remain at relatively low levels. There was no significant winter or spring rainfall in 2019 resulting in inflows, and inflows in the autumn and winter of 2020 into the storages have been welcome but not yet drought-breaking across the whole north-west.
Any new inflows to the northern basin since early-2018 were first preserved for high priority needs, consistent with water sharing plan rules and the NSW Extreme Events Policy.
River and overland flows in the northern inland valleys in January and up to the end of February 2020 resulting from localised rainfall events were protected from most commercial extraction. In the Barwon-Darling restrictions were lifted later in March to ensure that flows could travel down and reach Menindee Lakes. These restrictions ensured that critical town, domestic and stock and refuge pools were replenished and river systems were connected for the first time for many years.
As a result of these restrictions, flows began arriving at Menindee Lakes from 10 March 2020 and provided water for a much-needed release along the full length of the Lower Darling. Flows reached the junction with the Murray River in April 2020, providing connectivity along the full length of the Barwon and Darling Rivers for the first time in many years. By end of June 2020 670 GL had entered Menindee Lakes. View more information on the North-West Flows and Lower Darling Releases.
How we’re responding
In light of these unprecedented conditions, the NSW government is responding in a range of ways to support those most affected by water shortages:
1. Clearer policy direction
- Launched the NSW Extreme Events Policy in October 2018
- Developed Incident Response Guides which form schedules to all the draft water resource plans in the NSW Murray-Darling Basin. Incident response guides outline the approach for managing water during extreme water shortage or critical water quality events
- Regularly update the four stages defining the severity of water shortages
- Implement and publish all temporary water restrictions and explain the reasons why they have been put in place
- Publish all water sharing plan suspension notices and reasons for the decisions
- Provide regular water allocation statements for the regulated rivers
- Launched the NSW Extreme Events Policy in October 2018
- Developed Incident Response Guides which form schedules to all the draft water resource plans in the NSW Murray-Darling Basin. Incident response guides outline the approach for managing water during extreme water shortage or critical water quality events
- Regularly update the four stages defining the severity of water shortages
- Implement and publish all temporary water restrictions and explain the reasons why they have been put in place
- Publish all water sharing plan suspension notices and reasons for the decisions
- Provide regular water allocation statements for the regulated rivers
2. On-ground measures
- Construction of emergency infrastructure works, such as temporary weirs, pipelines and access to lower levels in storages to extend town water and other high priority supplies for as long as possible
- Changes to river system operations to preserve remaining supplies for critical human water needs
- A coordinated approach across government to mitigate poor water quality and fish death events, including emergency response planning, increased monitoring, artificial oxygenation and fish relocation
- Appointment in January 2019 of the Regional Town Water Supply coordinator to ensure every regional town in NSW has safe, clean drinking water
- Establishment in November 2019 of the Office of Drought Response to better coordinate support delivered by all NSW Government agencies for farmers, communities, businesses and towns affected by drought
- In total, the NSW Government has committed over $2 billion to its Drought Emergency Relief Package including:
- Emergency assistance for towns for infrastructure such a bores and water carting if necessary
- Interest free or low interest loans to farmers for water and other on-farm infrastructure
- Transport subsidies for primary producers for transport of stock, feed and water
- Waiving a range of government fees, including fixed water charges
- Details of NSW Government Emergency Relief funding provided to local water utilities can be viewed in the interactive map.
- The Government has also committed $1 billion to the Safe and Secure Program for longer term water security and sewerage projects for regional towns.
- Construction of emergency infrastructure works, such as temporary weirs, pipelines and access to lower levels in storages to extend town water and other high priority supplies for as long as possible
- Changes to river system operations to preserve remaining supplies for critical human water needs
- A coordinated approach across government to mitigate poor water quality and fish death events, including emergency response planning, increased monitoring, artificial oxygenation and fish relocation
- Appointment in January 2019 of the Regional Town Water Supply coordinator to ensure every regional town in NSW has safe, clean drinking water
- Establishment in November 2019 of the Office of Drought Response to better coordinate support delivered by all NSW Government agencies for farmers, communities, businesses and towns affected by drought
- In total, the NSW Government has committed over $2 billion to its Drought Emergency Relief Package including:
- Emergency assistance for towns for infrastructure such a bores and water carting if necessary
- Interest free or low interest loans to farmers for water and other on-farm infrastructure
- Transport subsidies for primary producers for transport of stock, feed and water
- Waiving a range of government fees, including fixed water charges
- Details of NSW Government Emergency Relief funding provided to local water utilities can be viewed in the interactive map.
- The Government has also committed $1 billion to the Safe and Secure Program for longer term water security and sewerage projects for regional towns.
3. Better communication and coordination
- Drought information sessions provide public updates on water availability, groundwater and proposed drought measures
- WaterNSW’s River Operations Stakeholder Consultation Committees are valley-based committees formed with a broad range of key stakeholders
- Critical Water Advisory Panels includes a range of state and local government representatives to provide advice on proposed drought measures
- Drought Information sheets on key topics
- Drought information sessions provide public updates on water availability, groundwater and proposed drought measures
- WaterNSW’s River Operations Stakeholder Consultation Committees are valley-based committees formed with a broad range of key stakeholders
- Critical Water Advisory Panels includes a range of state and local government representatives to provide advice on proposed drought measures
- Drought Information sheets on key topics
Drought-affected valleys
The current drought stage and an overview of the situation in each valley as at early September 2020 is provided in the table below. You can also download a high resolution version of the map (JPG 6.7 MB).
| Valleys | Drought stage |
|---|---|
| Peel River Severe water shortage de-escalated from Stage 4 critical on 3 September 2020. |
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| Belubula River Severe water shortage since July 2019. |
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| Lower Darling Recovering–de-escalated from Stage 4 critical on 23 March 2020 and from Stage 3 severe on 1 May 2020. |
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| Barwon-Darling River Recovering–de-escalated from Stage 4 critical to Stage 3 severe on 23 March 2020 and then to Stage 2 on 1 May 2020. |
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| Macquarie River Stage 1 normal operations de-escalated from recovering on 3 September 2020. Previously eased from stage 3 severe on 14 August and Stage 4 critical on 13 May 2020 for Macquarie. Cudgegong eased to stage 1 normal operations on 14 August. |
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| Gwydir River Recovering–de-escalated from Stage 3 severe on 23 March 2020. |
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| Border Rivers Recovering–de-escalated from Stage 3 severe on 14 August 2020 and Stage 4 critical on 23 March 2020. |
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| Lachlan River Normal operations–de-escalated from recovering on 3 September 2020, previously eased from stage 3 severe water shortage on 14 August 2020. |
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| Murray River Emerging water shortage in May 2019, eased to drought stage 1 normal operations on 31 July 2020. |
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| Hunter River Normal operations on 14 August 2020, eased from stage 2 emerging which was announced on 31 July 2020. |
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Critical issues
Algal blooms occur across the state and can contribute to fish deaths, although the incidence and risk reduces as temperatures cool. Algal blooms impact on the use of river water and dams for recreation and impact on aquatic life. Towns also need to provide additional water treatment for water affected by algae.
For the latest algal alerts go to WaterNSW.
Information on the location of fish kills in NSW and the likely causes is available from the Department of Primary Industries
The department’s temporary water restrictions protect essential supplies and environmental releases.
Drought conditions have led most NSW rural towns to impose some level of water restrictions. Information on specific town restrictions are available from the local councils' websites or can be searched on the website of the Bureau of Meteorology.